EU countries approve year-long delay to deforestation law

19/12/2025 6:15

European Union countries on Thursday approved a deal to delay the anti-deforestation law by a year, the Council of the EU said, clearing the final legal hurdle for the delay to pass into law.



The world-first policy would ban imports into the EU of cocoa, palm oil and other commodities linked to forest destruction, requiring foreign exporters of these commodities to provide due diligence statements proving their products did not contribute to forest destruction.



Originally due to apply from December 2024, the law was designed as a key plank of the EU's green agenda. Brussels had already delayed it by a year, but that did not quell opposition from industry and trade partners including Brazil, Indonesia and the U.S., which said complying with the rules would be costly

and hurt their exports to Europe.